Engraving tools



Nov. 29, 1960 R. F. cHURcHxLL ENGRAVING TooLs 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. '7, 1958 Q INVENTOR v afsjwri,

BY @am ATTORNEY NOV- 29, 1960 R. F. CHURCHILL. I 2,961,929

ENGRAV'ING TooLs Filed Oct. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Unite States Patent O ENGRAviNG TooLs Ross F. Churchill, Burlington, N.C., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 7, 1958, Sel'. No. 765,904 8 Claims. (Cl. 9024) This invention relates to engraving tools and more particularly to an engraving tool with a nibbling head having cam-operated cutters. Y

The problem of stamping printed circuits'composed of relatively thin sheets, such as copper, which may be mounted on insulation material, has necessitated the use of dies commonly known as dinking dies. These dies must have knife-edged cutting surfaces which in most instances are in the configuration of an inverted V. Attempts to etch chemically these cutting surfaces on dies have not proven satisfactory; therefore, efforts to machine such dies have been made. The instant invention is concerned with an engraving tool which has been found successful in the formation of dies' such as those presently discussed.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved engraving tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved engraving tool with a nibbling head having a cam-operated cutter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved engraving tool capable of cutting in a single pass an inverted V-shaped land in a die or workpiece.

Apparatus illustrating certain features of the invention may include a housing, cam means supported within the housing, a head fixed to the housing, and cutter means supported pivotally by the head and cooperatively engaged with the cam means for oscillatory cutting action.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 illustrates a sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section of the device taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows; v

Fig. 3 shows a section of the device taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 in assembly for operation with a pantograph and a machine. v

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. l an engraving tool 9 having a hollow housing 11, T-shaped in cross section, which may be composed of metal, such as cold rolled steel. A head 12 is slotted so as to form a rectangular cutout or passage 13 which extends from the bottom and side of the head 12 to the top and the middle thereof. In this fashion the passage 13 communicates the bottom exterior of the head 12 with hollow housing 11.

Suitable fasteners such as hexagonal head bolts 14-14 attach the head 12 rigidly to the housing 11 to close the bottom of the housing 11 thereby creating a cavity 15.

Into the cavity 15` are received stacked cams 16-1'6 which are aligned axially on a stepped cam shaft 17 supported vertically for rotation Within bearings 18-18 held within the housing 11.

Cams 16-16 are shown, particularly in Fig. 3, with cam surfaces 19-19 projecting outwardly from a common vertical axis. The surfaces 19-19 on one cam 16 are spaced horizontally from the surfaces 1919 on the adjacent cam 16 to provide equal spacing of the surfaces 19-19 about a vertical axis. Of course cam surfaces 19-19 may be designed in size and configuration other than that depicted in Fig. 3, which is merely illustrative of a preferred cam design.

The cutters 21-21, Fig. 1, have similarly shaped tips 22-22, but the blade portions 23-23 vary in height to accommodate the engagement of their cam follower portions 24-24 with their respective cams 16e-16. The tips 22-22 of the blade portions 23--23 pivot in parallel planes by means of the pinned pivotal connection of the cutters 2121 within the passage 13 of head 12. The

. pin 25 passes through aligned apertures 26--26 provided portions 29-29 at one end of the springs attached'to ay rod 31 seated in apertures 32--32 (Fig. 2) of the housing 11. The tang portions 29-29 are attached at the other end of the springs 28*28 to headed retaining studs 33-33 projecting laterally from each cutting Vblade portion 23 intermediate the cam follower portion 24 and the aperture 26. The cutters 21-21 are assembled therel for to rock back and forth about the horizontal axis dened by the pin 25.

The housing 11 and head 12 fixed thereto support guidingly the cutters 21---21- for rotation axially about` the cam shaft 17, but independently with respect to the rotation of the cam shaft 17. This function is achieved by the provision of a pulley 34 firmly engaged to the housing 11, while the cam shaft 17 is rotated by means of a pulley 35 xed to the shaft 17 vertically spaced apart from pulley 34 by a spacer 36 which may be composed of metal such as brass or bronze. Y v

Referring now to Fig. 4, the setup of the instant ap paratus with a pantograph may be understood. The engraving tool 9'isrdisposed verticallyV by a jig 37 above a machine bed 38'onto which a workpiece or die, not shown, may be supported. A pantograph 39, which may be of conventional design, includes arms 4141 coupled together by a vertical rod 42.` The rod 42 forrsv also an axle on which is supported a double-grooved pulley 43, of which one groove in turn is coupled cooperatively by a belt 44 to the pulley 34, which, as explained hereinabove, is connected to the housing 11 of the tool 9'. YThe other groove of pulley V43 is coupled also by a belt'45 to a pulley 46 supported for rotation with a pin 47 of the pantograph 39. The pin 47 is supported for rotation about a vertical axis at the extremity of the arm 41 opposite the attachment of the block 48 with the arm 41 and with the jig 37.

In operation, the pantograph 39 utilizes a double stylus, not shown, fixed to the lower end of the pin 47 which follows a master template having parallel grooves, for example, formed in the surface thereof. By the use of the pulleys 43 and 46, linked for simultaneous rotation by the belt 45, and this rotation being imparted to the housing 11 via the pulley 34, any turning of the double stylus rotates the cutters 21-21 carried by the head 12. By following the radii of grooves in the master template 3 the cutters 21-21 will make lands which follow the radii on any pattern designed on the template.

The pulley 35, fixed to the cam shaft 17, is coupled by suitable means to a source of power, not shown, to rotate the cams 16-16 and thereby rock the cutters 21-21 in cutting action.

It is manifest that the above-described embodiment of the invention is merely illustrative and that numerous modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. An engraving tool which comprises a rotary housing, independently rotary cam means supported within the housing, a head fastened rigidly to the housing for rotation therewith, about a Vertical axis and cutter means engaged with the cam means and supported by the head for rotary oscillation about a horizontal axis and for rotation about a vertical axis with the head.

2. An engraving tool which comprises a rotary housing, rotary cam means supported within the housing, a head having a passage formed therethrough fixed to the housing for rotation therewith, a pair of adjacently disposed cutters having cutting edges positioned to form an inverted V-shaped configuration in cross section, the cutters supported guidingly within the passage formed in the head and pivotally about a horizontal axis, the cutters each being in operative contact with the cam means for rotary oscillatory cutting movement of the opposite half of an inverted V-shaped land in a workplece.

3. An engraving tool which comprises a rotary housing, cam means supported for rotation within the housing, a head having a passage formed therethrough fixed to the housing for rotation therewith, and a pair of adjacently disposed cutters having cam follower portions and cutting tip portions positioned to form a V-shaped cutting surface, the cutters being supported guidingly and pivotally within the passage in the head such that the cam follower portions engage operatively the cams and the cutting tip portions depend beyond the head to c`ooperate to form an inverted V-shaped land in a workpiece.

4. An engraving tool which comprises a rotary housing having an inverted T-shaped cross section, a pulley attached to the exterior wall of the housing at the uppermost stern section of the inverted T-shaped cross section, a cam shaft disposed coaxially for rotation within the stem section of the inverted T-shaped cross section of the housing, a cam attached rigidly to one end of the cam shaft and positioned within the crossbar section of the inverted T-shaped cross section, a pulley located exteriorly of the housing and coupled to the other end of the cam shaft spaced coaxially with respect to the pulley attached to the housing, a head connected rigidly to the crossbar section of the inverted T-shaped cross section of the housing so as to form a cavity defined by the interior of the housing and the surface of the head, the head having formed therethrough a passage, a pair of adjacently disposed cutters each having a cam follower portion and a cutting tip portion connected pivotally within the passage of the head to the head and rotary with the head, the cam follower portions of the cutters being engaged with the cam for cooperative movement therewith, and the cutting tip portions depending beneath the head for oscillatory cutting movement.

5. The combination which comprises a cutting tool including a rotary housing, cam means having angularly spaced radial lobe portions supported within the housing, and a pair of adjacently disposed cutters supported within the housing for opposed rotary oscillatory cutting action, the cutters having opposed beveled cutting faces positioned to form in cross section an inverted V-shaped conguration; a pantograph having a double stylus for co-operation with parallel grooves in a master template; and linking means connected to the rotary housing and to the pantograph stylus whereby the cutters are guided by the stylus to form in a workpiece an inverted V-shaped land according to the layout of said grooves.

6. An engraving tool which comprises a rotary housing, a cam shaft disposed coaxially for rotation within the housing, a cam attached rigidly to one end of the cam shaft and located within the housing, a head connected rigidly to the housing, the head having formed therethrough a passage, a pair of adjacently disposed cutters each having a cam follower portion and a cutter tip portion connected pivotally within the passage of the head to the head and rotative therewith, the cam follower portions of the cutters being engaged with the cam for cooperative movement therewith, and the cutting tip por tions of the cutters depending beneath the head for oscillatory cutting movement.

7. An engraving tool which comprises a housing, rotary cam means having angularly spaced radial lobe portions supported within the housing, a head fixed to the housing, a pair of adjacently disposed cutters having cutting edges positioned to form an inverted V-shaped configuration in cross section, means for pivotally supporting the cutters within the head, and means for urging each of said cutters into separate and cooperative engagement with the cam means for oscillatory cutting action directed opposite to that of the other cutter whereby the pair of cutters cooperate to form an inverted V-shaped land in a workpiece.

8. The combination which comprises a cutting tool having a rotary housing and a pair of cam-operated cutters disposed coaxially within the housing for opposed rotary oscillatory cutting action, a pantograph having a double stylus for cooperation with parallel grooves in a master template, and linking means engaged to the rotary housing and to the stylus for causing the cutters to follow movement of the stylus whereby the cutters cooperate to form a land in a workpiece.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 873,395 Wais Dec. l0, 1907 1,059,271 Bucknam Apr. 15, 1913 1,237,388 Robertson Aug. 21, 1917 2,349,954 Geibig May 30, 1944 2,493,226 Cole Jan. 3, 1950 2,726,615 Downing Dec. 13, 1955 2,807,988 Varrial Oct. 1, 1957 2,823,446 Crane Feb. 18, 1958 2,826,965 Bianchini Mar. 18, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No., 2,961,929 November 29, 1960 Ross F. Churchill It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered petent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 28, strike out "movement" Signed and sealed this 2nd day of Mey 1961.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST WQ.. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents 

